Refrigerator counter



2 Sheets-Sheet J. J. WILLENBORG REFRIGERATOR COUNTER pril 2.3, 1929.

Filed Feb. 1, 1927 2 SheetsSheet 2 m @N w link Patented Apr. 23, 1929.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN J. WILLENBORG, OF IAWNEE, ILLINOIS.

REFRIGERATOR COUNTER.

Application filed February The invention relates to refrigerator counters and has for its object to provide a device of this character .having shelves therein, an ice receptacle in a compartment adjaf cent the upper side of the coui'rter, whei'eby cooled by ice within the ice receptacle, thereby insuring a natural movement of cold and hot air circulation, andat the saine time al-r lowing use in a counter of independent coinpartments, which is not possible with counters having end icers as atfprese'nt constructed.

A further object is to provide a `deflecting member in spaced relation to the rear and bottom sides of the ice receptacle, which deiecting member deflects cold air asfit'falls forwardly and downwardly 'to the front yof the compartment through shelving whereby the returning warm air will pass upwardly at the rear of the compartment adjacent doors whereby upon opening of a door any loss of air will. be from the warm air and not freni the maximum coldy air.

A further object is to provide vthe partitions between the compartments with ventilating tubes tlnfough which the air in its return passes, and ythrough perforations above shelving7 therebyrinsuring ka quick and unobstructed return of the air particularly when articles are on shelving adjacent the rearsides thereof. y

A further object is to provide the downwardly and forwardly extending portieri of the deflecting member with a trough in which condensation from `the ice receptacle collects, and a drain pipe leading from said trough through the tube 'to a drip pan in the bottoni of the compartment, wlieiebysaid cold water will additionally cool the airin its`cii'ciiit, consequently using said water for cooling purposesat a point in the air circuit remote to the ice receptacle. f

A further object is to provide ay single tube f atl the divisional walls of the compartments f y above the screened shelves 1, `192'?. serial No. 165,147.

for forming a return for adjacent compartments, and also to provide perforated return tubes at the outer ends of the end compartments, whereby when additional partitions are placed within the compartments, free cir- `cina-tion is insured for the compartments yformed by the partitions. f

71th the above and other objects in view the invention resides in the combination and i arrangement of parts as hereinafter set forth, shown in the drawing, described and claimed,

it being understood that changesin the precise embodiment of the invention may be made within the scope of what is claimed withoutdeparting from the spirit of the invention. f

In the drawings Figui-e1 a'front elevation ofthe refrigerator' counter.

Figure 2 a top plan view ofthe refrigerator counter. j

Figure Bis a vertical transverse sectional view taken on line 3 3 of Figure l.

F iguret is an end elevation. l l

Figure 5 is a perspective view of one of the Ventilating tubes.

Figure 6 is a vertical longitudinal'sectional i view through the counter.

Figure 7' is a vertical sectional view taken on line 7-7 of Figure Figure 8 is a perspective view of one of the removable partitions. i o y Figure S) isr a sectional yview taken on line 9 9 of Figure `8.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral l designates the base of the counter which j'ii'eterably provided with supporting legs 2. Extending upwardly from the rear side of Athe base l is a rear wall 3, which wall is provided with a plurality of doors 4, through which access may behad to the interior of the compartments 5 ofthe counter. The number of compartments may vary,`however 'for jun-poses of illustration three compart- 'walls of the coiinter, and are preferably ioi'iiied trein glass. Disposed within rthe coinj'iai'tments 5, at opposite sides of the partitions 6 are 'Ventilating tubes which tubes are provided with a plurality of apertures 10, j

which are positioned rwhereby they are spaced. y 1l, the purposes of which will presently appear.

In refrigerator counters as at present ioo ' ivard end 'of lthe counter, and at the saine.

compartment 5.

rmaintaining a circuit longitudinally of lthe' counter, it is obvious that partitions for forniing independent compartments can not be used, as it Will jcut oli' the circulation, and independent :compartments are desirable for storing' diiferent kinds of foods, particularly those foods which absorb the taste and odors ice receiving receptacles .12 are placed in the upper ends of the compartments 5 with their upper ends vnpen, and in spaced relation to the removable closures 13,foriningr the top of ,thecounten the rear iva-ll 8 and thefront- Wall 7, and 1n which receptacles lice is placed..

'Extending' vertically betiveenthe rear ivall .3 and the rear sides 'of the receptacles12 is a deilecting `member 14, Vwhich is in spaced relation to the Vivall 3 and the receptaclethereby kforming vertically disposed air passages 15,

which terminate in forwardly extending air .passages 16 above the downward-ly and `forwardly extending deflecting memberfl'T, `which member 17 is spaced from the under` side of the receptacle 12 and above they perforated tube 9, whereby it kwill not interfere with the .passage of air from `the upperk end of :the tube `into the compartknient. Defleeting' -meinber 17 directs thek "cooled air forwardly toivardsfthe forward Wall 7 of thecounter, so it will fallrat the fortimeA forms means onto which condensation frein the receptacle 12 collected and downv which said condensation liloivs to the v longitudinally disposed trough 1S, Yand .through Vthe drain pipe 19., which extends'downwardly 'through the tube 9, and terniinatesbeloiv then bottoni shelf 2O within the compartment.

The Water from the drainpipe 19 is relatively cold and falls onto aV plate 21, above a drain pan 22, and by falling on the pan 21 spreads rwhereby the Aair in making theV circuit in the direction ofthe arrows in Figure 8 Will be *additionally cooled by the relatively cold drain Water., therefore it will be seen that the cooling properties ofthe drain Water arev utilized. 'The air also passes over the top of the receptacle 12 and falls at the front of the 'After the air is cooled. and it falls it Ypasses through the shelves 23 and 20, which are preferablyy formedfroni screened material and vtransveisely t-liroughthe compartment 24,

then passes lupimrdly through `the portions 11 of the shelves adjacent the doors 4l, and

also through thetubes Sand perforations 10 therein. The 1tubesjand gerforations allov.7

easy passage of. the air, particularly -wvlien particles are stored on the shelves adagcent the vof adjacent foods. rllo obvi'ate this difliculty doors d, and in either case air passing' through .thetul'ies will be discharged into the yrear portion of thechaniber. lt will be noted that the returning ivarinair is adjacent the doors a, consequently ivhen a person opens the .door for reinovino or placing` goods therein, cold airis not lost but warm air from the crculating' air. It will also be seen that the return relatively ivarin air passes upwardly ina plane, parallel to the plane vof the doors, ccnsecpiontfly is not directed at an an gie which would force the same through the door openings.

'The end Vwalls 25 adjacent their rear por tions are provided with wooden Apanels y26, to which are secured Ventilating tubes 27 siniilai' tothe ventilating tubes 9V, and as the ventilating tubes 9' serve the adjacent ycompartments, it ivi-ll be obvious that ivhen 'divisional partitions 28 are shoivn in FigufresS and 9 are placed on the shelves 20 or Within the compartments, said compartments formed by the divisionginenibers 28 will have return .throng-li the tubes 27.y Partitions 28 may be of any construction however they are pref- Verably removable, and for purposes of illustration they are shoivn with channeled riibbei' members or marginal edges `for engaging adjacent parts for ina!ntaininpr lthesanfie vertical. .f rlhe forward Wall 7 of the counter is provided with transparent members '31,

through which goods on display at vthe forivard side of the compartment may Vbe seen by customers. However the upper portion of the vfront vvall 7 is provided Withmirrors `32, ivliieh are disposed forwardly of the ice receptacles 12 for obscuring the from view, fconsequently preventing the s'anie from detracting' from the genera-l yappearance of the counter.. Access is had to `the icei'ecepvaeles 12 by removingl the covers 13, and in the saine rmanner the ice receptacles vmay be removed for cleaningand dump-ing purposes. It is to be understood that coils may be used instead of the receptacles Where the eoldair is provided by a refrigeratingplant.

From the above it will be seen that -a refrigerator counter is provided wherein a circulationof cool air is maintained in compartments, the cool air passing downwardly from the 'cooling element at the `forward sides `of the compartment, and thence upwardly by the rear side of the counter to the cooling element.y It will also be lseen-that means is provided for preventing .free circulation tothe perforatedk tubes, particularly Vwhen 4articles are stored on lthe shelves, which materially retard the circula-tion.

The invention having been set fortli'what is claimed as new and useful is y1. A 4refrigerator counter having` a chamber ther in, shelvesyvithin said chamber., Yan ice receptacle Within the chamber andl spaced from .the upper .wall thereof7 a Vdeleeting.; member to the rear of said receptacle and eX- 1 tendingl under the receptacle in spaced relation thereto, a drain trough carried by said defleoting member, a drain pan in the bottom of the chamber, a drain pipe leading from the drain trough to the drain pan, a vertically disposed perforated tube extending through one of the shelves and resting on the other shelf, said drain pipe extending downwardly through said tube.

2. A refrigerator counter having a chamber therein, an ice receptacle in the upper portion of said chamber, a detleeting member spaced from the rear side oi the receptacle, a downwardly and forwardly extending delleetor carried by the first mentioned defleetor in spaced relation to the under side of the receptacle, and onto which condensation drops, a trough carried by said downwardly and forwardly extending deieeting member, return perforated tubes vertically disposed within the chamber adjacent the rear side thereof, a drip pan in the bottom of the chamber, and a drain pipe connected to said trough and extending downwardly through one of said perforated tubes and discharging into the drain pan.

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature. f

JoHN J. WiLLnNBoRG. 

